Hello, my name's Santasha Nabananga Bamblet. I'm a proud yr
the Order Kerni Whoalbury and a waddery woman. And before we get started on She's on the Money podcast, I would like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land of which this podcast is recorded on a wondery country, acknowledging the elders, the ancestors and the next generation coming through as this podcast is about connecting, empowering, knowledge sharing and the storytelling of you to make a difference for today and lasting impact for tomorrow.
Let's get into it.
She's on the Money, She's on the Money.
Hello, and welcome to She's on Me, the podcast for millennials who want financial freedom. Welcome back to another Shop Back Money Diary Monday, where we get to chat to one of our community members to learn all about them, their money, their story, their journey, their life and all of the fun bits in between.
Victoria, what are you going to say about this one? Jess go, you have an outstanding.
You.
I am very excited. Should we get straight into it? Yes, let me tell you what they said? So our diarist wrote, Kyo or She's on the Money, team.
Hey we friends.
I am a thirty six year old New Zealand Maori, mother of two, emergency services worker and egg donor. I am the first on the Marti side to graduate from university. Growing up, money was very stressful. It was always tight and argued about often. We were never taught financial literacy and it made me want to get a good job or career in order to never have money problems. I can't wait to share my story with our community.
Epic. Oh my gosh, let's get straight into it, money diarist, welcome to the show. You're hiding in the.
Background, Kurta. Guys, how are you?
We are so well. I'm excited to hear about your money story. Are you ready to get straight into it?
Absolutely?
All right, let's go. So first question is could you tell us a little bit about your money story?
Yeah? Absolutely, I've had a bit of a thought about this growing up. I'm one of five kids and we grew up in a very small rural town in the South Island population less than a thousand people and one income family. So dad worked and he worked very hard.
Money was extremely stressful growing up. It was never talked about and there are always many arguments about it to the point where I think all of us kids there was just so much stress around it, and I knew that in order to live a life how I wanted, I needed to get a good career. So back then I would say very stressful, pessimistic about money. But now that's obviously change over the last sort of good five years. Are more positive about money and optimistic. I would say, yeah, so.
You're changing the narrative of where you've been to where you want to be. Absolutely yeah, I love that all right, Well, share with us the pervy details money, durist. What do you do for work? How much money do you earn?
Okay, I am a paramedic and I'm part time and I'm on one hundred and six k.
Oh, very nice. It's also rata because you're part time.
Yeah. Yeah, and that's not including super very cool.
I feel like paramedics don't get enough credit like you guys do such a special job. How epic. Do you love what you do?
Yeah, it's challenging and every day is different. Coming up to twelve years in the job, and obviously the last couple of years have been stressful for everyone, and this year in particularly, i've really, really struggled working just with workload and with what was going on with lockdown, and then I've had a few family members that died as well, and I've ended up having to take a good eight weeks off work. I was burnt out, and I ended up having to see a psychologist, which I still see.
She's fantastic, and she said, you know you need time off. You either go down work cover or we use yesiically she goes, because I don't want you to get to a point where it's too late, where you've gone past that exhaustion and you're off work and you can't get back on road. Because she said that she's got paramedics that have had two years off road and they can't get back on road because they just went past the point of exhaustion and burnout. And so at a much
better place. Now, I'm back at work, and yeah, feeling better, but I'm still seeing the psychologists.
Oh I'm glad, like I'm glad that you got to pick it up as early as that, because you do hear about people in our frontline roles that just get so burnt out. But I also just don't think, you know, this is maybe another stereotype jest that we need to break. But I just feel like people in those roles care so much about other people that when it comes to caring for themselves they just don't reach out for the
help when they need it. And it's like, well, guys, like you need more support than anybody, Like you're carrying the weight of the world and so much trauma that other people go through on you. Like, it just makes sense that burnout would be a very real reality. However, we just need to identify it earlier and give ourselves the self care and the space to get through that. So I'm glad that you're back on the road. That's so exciting. We're so lucky.
Yeah, yeah, and you're absolutely right and normalize it by talking about it. I took very openly to any of my colleagues that I'm working with, because all of us need help at some stage. All of us do. And yeah, like I talked to my family about it. Whereas you know, growing up, mental health was another thing that was never talked about. It was everything was sweet under the rugue.
It's just not helpful, No, it absolutely isn't. All right. Next, I would like to know, my friend, what's your big money goal.
So my husband and I are very fortunate that we already own a house. That our big money goal because he's also a paramedic and so we've got some long service leave. So we're planning in twenty twenty five to take a year off and live overseas. So we'll about to do half pay for some of it and will have some annual leave. So a year off living overseas with our two kids.
Oh my gosh, that's so exciting. Where are you going?
Tell us more a typical our fashion. We're very disorganized, but we have the plan of basing ourselves in Italy.
Oh, you're living my dream.
We're so privileged, Like I can't even comprehend how very lucky we are, and we both know this, so very fortunate. Our kids are very very lucky as well.
No, no, no, no, my friend, we need to reframe that actually, because you just said you're really lucky. But what you told me is you have this plan that you're working towards, and you're working really hard to do that. I don't actually think luck comes into it. I think that what you're going to achieve is because of your hard work and determination and the fact that you guys
are killing it. So if we could just see it that way, like my friend Lucky is finding two dollars on the ground, it's not working so that in twenty twenty five you can live a year in Italy.
Appreciate that. Thank you.
Yeah, all right, let's move on to the next question. I want to know do you have any investments? If so, what are they?
Absolutely so super The last time I checked that, which is probably I think four months ago, it was at one hundred and fifty k oh, good work, Yeah, very very lucky. And then I also have started the last couple of years investing in shares, so I made sure I did a lot of reading up on that before I sort of dip my toes. But that at the moment, I think is at thirty five k.
Oh, very nice. Can you tell me a little bit more about that, though I'm really pervy, I wouldn't know. How did you get into the market, what made you take that next step, and how did you pick the asset that worked best for you?
Absolutely so. I love to read and knowledge is power, So I just read a lot of financial books, a lot to kind of remember in particular which ones, and also podcasts She's on the Money, of course.
And this season about ego stroking. I literally want to know because as women like, it's so hard to take that next step to go. I've read, I've listened, Like you know, there are even people in my team that are like Victoria, I hear from you all the time. I'm just still analysis paralysis, and I don't know how to go onto actually purchasing my first share. So no, it's not about did you listen to She's on the Money, It's like, how do you do it? Please share? We want to know.
Yeah, I think for me, you've just got to work out what's works best for you. So I'm just like, I don't want to overwhelm myself with which platform is the right platform. So I ended up just going with Comsick. I just made a decision years. Some of their fees are a little bit high in terms of compared to
other platforms, but I was like, I'll do it. And then researching about good standard blow chip stocks ETFs I really liked, and I would just sort of read into them as well, and you know what to look for. I'm not going to be picking random stocks that I don't know what they are or you know someone's given you a tip on what stock is going to be the best, So the majority like the S and P.
Five hundred. Of course, obviously that's Warren Buffett. He was a huge influence too, as well as the very dry financial book, which I think you recommended I'd read a while ago. I forget the name of Are the Intelligent Investor?
Oh yeah, I did recommend that My favorite dry book is actually the Richest Man in Babylon. But you know I'll read them for you. Guys. We did actually a recap a couple of months ago on the podcast of my favorite book, so you didn't have to read them, but I'm glad you did, my friend.
Yes, it's very dry. It can also put you to sleep at times.
Good night time reading. I reckon, if you can't sleep, pop that book beside your bed. Promise you won't suffer from insomnia again.
Exactly. I agree. So yeah, I just really a lot of my own research and reading, and I just thought, you know what, I'll do one thousand dollar lots and just I started off, I think which was my first year, probably an ETF of some point or a listed investment company, and I know that they're good sort of standard stocks and then just reinvest the dividends. Yeah, what a queen.
I love that. Thank you for sharing. All right, next question, my love, do you have any debts? If so, what are they?
Yeah? Absolutely, obviously the mortgage, which I think is at four hundred K at the moment, and no consumer debt. We got rid of that quite a few years ago, paid out of cars and all of that. But I have my student loan from New Zealand and I should have paid it off years ago. But yeah, look there were a few years where you know, just wasn't paying and then paying minimum you know, the interest. So I've actually made a goal for myself to pay it out
by June next year. I've already got sixteen K set aside because I think it's at thirty one K, and I'll just knock that out of the park. Yep.
How exciting. I love that you've got a plan for it. I feel like that's yeah, No, that's really exciting because I feel like sometimes when we have outstanding debts, especially ones that we've been putting off for a long time, we just stick our head in the sand and we'll be like, oh, I just keep chipping away at it like it'll go away one day, like and you've got a plan and you know when it's going to happen, and you kind of smiled all the way through that.
So it's not even worrying that much, which I love.
Yeah, I think that. I know I should have had it knocked out years ago.
Anyway, that's all right, That is all right. Well let's talk about maybe our money. When do you use shop back?
I do, yes. I think I've got fifty dollars in there at the moment.
Free money. We love you love that.
What I've been doing is ordering the likes of Foods or muscle Shift. They're really handy meals to take.
Oh there were meals on there too.
Yeah. Yeah, Oh you're.
Much smarter than me. I hadn't even thought about that. I knew that, like supermarkets were on there, so that's a good money win, but I didn't know you could order meal delivery serve. I learned something new every time I ask that question, honestly.
Awesome.
All right, speaking about money wins, I want to know what is your best money habit.
When I set goals, I get that tunnel vision and I'll do it. So for example, like I've said, I've set this goal of paying out my student loan, and I'll no, I'll do it by June. So yeah, get that sort of determination and tunnel vision and just do it.
I love that. Let's flip the narrative for a hot second. What's your worst money habit?
I can take money out of savings sometimes, well not sometimes I might do it a bit too often. Then I want to like, oh, I'll just take out a bit of money, And it's generally to spend on food. Yeah, like takeaways, and so yeah, that's probably the worst one at the moment.
That is not too bad if I do say so myself, also because I get it if it's for snacks. That story adds up last question before we go to a really quick break. What grade would you give yourself if we forced you to give yourself a money grade?
I think it would be a solid B. We're on the way to being very financially stable. Yeah, I like that.
What would you have to do to get.
To an A? To get to an A? I would have to have the student loan knocked out and maybe the mortgage reduced. But we've already got our emergency fund, so I feel yeah, that that's not a problem, but it's yeah, just those other things.
Yeah, I like that dune next year you're an a Then that makes sense. Story checks out. Let's go to a quick break because after the break, I really want to dive back into your money story. Don't go anywhere, guys.
All right, we are back and money diarist. I feel like you've got a really interesting money story, and we touched on it at the start of the structured questions, but I want to dive back into it because you said that growing up, your parents argued a lot about money, and I feel like we all do that in different ways, shapes and forms. But as a younger human, what did you take from that, Like, did you feel it was just an overwhelming sense of anxiety or with the specific
money issues they argued about. And I guess how does that now trail into the conversations you have with your partner about money?
Yeah? Really good question. It was definitely a lot of anxiety. I think the un known as to what our situation was, whether we could afford to still rent where we were or oh, look, there was always food, we always had a roof over our head, and typical small town community like there's always support from the community, and we had a lot of families, so that very privileged in that respect. But I feel like for a long time into my
twenties as well, still held on to that anxiety. So even when I was working, wasn't fantastic with money because we weren't taught about it, so basically spending all that we earned or not thinking about my future self in terms of putting money aside because it wasn't we didn't learn about it, and it was you know, you got money, you spent it, basically. So I think think for especially my sister and I, we always knew that we needed to get good jobs, good careers as a way of
ending that cycle of being financially and stable. I guess, so that was my first step. But with this good career and e earning decent money, that doesn't mean that you know what to do with money and that you're going to be financially stable independent.
Yeah, do you still feel anxious when people ask about money or talk about money, like where are your feelings at on this?
A little bit? I think that's over the years that's actually reduced because when we paid out our car loans and we had a credit card, and there was another that we had. That anxiety started to go away, and it's amazing that the weight that's lifted off your shoulders
by doing those things. So I feel that a lot of that anxiety has gone for sure because we don't have that consumer debt, we have a really decent emergency fund, we have good soupers, and we have a goal as to what we're doing in terms of investing for our future. So yeah, i'd say that I don't have that anxiety now. I can still in my mind think about when we grew up and not ever wanting to be in that situation.
Yeah, that is so fair, And I feel like this is a really common narrative in our community where it's an underlying anxiety, you've grown up with it, you're not really sure how to reframe it, but you're starting to take positive steps towards creating a secure financial future, and then I feel like there's a bit of an ah moment where you go, this is how I can do that, and that anxiety dissipates. You mentioned before, we now have our emergency fund. I want to know about your emergency fund.
Have you always had one? If not, how, when, where, why, and what's in it? And how did you decide how much needed to be in it?
Yeah, good question because I find this fascinating. Everyone's emergency fund amount will always be different. So from what I've read, the information is anywhere from three to six months of living expenses. Some people might do it as their three to six months wage, but for us, I think I set the minimum of twenty five K. So we have twenty five k in there at the moment.
Very nas very nice, very healthy.
And we're just letting that. Each fortnight we get paid, I think two hundred to fortnite goes into that, and we'll just let that keet trickling away.
I love that. Why are you continuing to contribute to your emergency fund? Do you feel like there's not enough in there? Or have you picked an amount like did you go, I want twenty five k because it covers three months worth of expenses? Is this the number that just makes you feel really comfy?
Like?
Where is it at?
That's a good question. I know. I think I see goals in terms of so you know, twenty five k, and then you're like, oh, I could see that to be higher. But I think if there's always a minimum of twenty five K happy with that, and I think any excess in there, I think I'll just put into shares. So yeah, I like that.
I don't mind that you're keeping on contributing to that. That's not a bad thing. I just want to know people's mentality around it, because it's interesting having had a conversation this week with someone who's like, oh, I don't really need it, I've got a credit card, and I'm like, ah, that gives me mad anxiety. But different things work for
different people. And as much as you know I would love love love love love and genuinely believe every single human needs an emergency fund, my job is actually to educate you on all the options and then you make the best one for you. And if you've decided that's it, then that's all good. But my gosh, that would give me mad anxiety not knowing that I have some cash stashed away for a rainy day.
Absolutely, yeah, I agree.
I wanted to ask you about something that you mentioned in your writing. You said you're an emergency services worker and an egg donor, and I liked that you put it there because I feel like it kind of signaled to me that that was something that was really important
to you. So I wanted to know more about why you made that decision, why you wanted to be an egg donor have there been any costs associated with that, because if I'm being honest, it's not something that I know a lot about, but I would really like to know how does that work.
Yeah, it's a very long story, so I'll try to convince it. When my husband and I decided to try for a family, were very realistic, I guess, probably because of the job we do in terms of we talked about, okay, so what happens if we can't conceive naturally? What are our options? So you know, we talked about IVF, we talked about other fertility treatments. What if that can't happen, what about donation from another woman? Adoption? All that. So
we're very realistic. And also I said to my husband, and this is back I think twenty thirteen or fourteen, when I was sort of looking into starting a family, that one of my brothers is gay. He lives in London with his partner, and I said that if he ever wanted to have a family, I would hope someone would donate the eggs to them, and egg donation is something that I would like to do, provided I could have my own family, because it's such a special gift.
Having children is incredible. And if I could do that for someone else, knowing that, you know, someone might do that for my brother and his partner if they wanted kids.
Yeah, you are such a special human. My gosh, a paramedic, someone who cares that much about other family. That is wild. I love it. Were there any close associated with that for you?
Yeah? So then we fast forward to twenty seventeen and my husband found an online article for look at an Ossie couple, a New Zealand Maori and a Ossie couple looking for a Maori egg donor, and they weren't getting anywhere because obviously it's very narrow.
Yeah that's niche, that's it. But that has your name all written on it.
So my husband's like, oh, what do you think? And I was like, oh do you think I Because you know, obviously the young are the better quality your eggs are. And at that stage I was thirty one, and I know I'm I'm not old, but obviously you know your quality of eggs and your number of eggs starts reducing, especially after thirty five and he's like, no, no, I said, you know what, Yeah, let's email and just throw basically
throw my hat in the ring. And so sent an email saying who I was and about my family, what I did do, what tribe I descend from in New Zealand, and yeah, just a bit of information. And it felt good knowing that there would be you know, I thought, yeah, there'd be other women that would have done the same.
And the boys, as I call them, that had an overwhelming response from women in New Zealand and Australia of special descent and I think over seventy women and yeah, look, and I don't think if all of those women met the criteria in terms of age and things like that, but I think my email was lucky last, which caught
their eye as well. And so it was a bit of a process for them to sort of filter through everything and they sort of narrowed it down and it ended up having skype chats with I think they sort of narrowed it down to five women and then from there we had to go to our GPS and get blood tests because they can do like our blood test, it's an anti miller and hormone blood test, which basically can look at how many eggs you've got left, So obviously you want to pick a candidate that's got a
good range of eggs. The process from there, so then I think there from there there was a couple of women that didn't quite meet that good criteria and then it came down to sort of a personal decision for them both and which they spoke with their families and they ended up picking me, which is in the end I was just happy that they had someone. And so in Australia, so obviously egg donation Saragac's firm donation is not commercial, meaning you don't get paid for it, so you know, you hear of it.
In America they do.
They do, that's right, So it's an altruistic.
You do it because you're a kind human.
Absolutely, and so basically what is covered so the boys will pay everything associated with the process, so that the IVY, if medications, the GP visits, that the blood tests, the going getting the ultrasounds, the flights up to because they're based in Queensland, the flights up to Queensland for the egg retrieval, the accommodation, the food, any days that I had to take or work all covered for I mean, they treated me like an absolute queen and we have
a fantastic relationship, all all of us. And I mean so my husband and the boys. So they I've actually done IVF twice for them and they have a little girl. How special, Yes, and they're looking at doing another transfer soon. That's a little girl. She's just over to now and I have met her, and you just don't know how you're going to feel because she's come from me.
She's genetically part of you.
Right, Yeah, that's right. But it was because I'm known as Auntie, which's a very endearble germ as well in our culture. And it was beautiful, Like it was emotional obviously when I met her, but not like I didn't feel like I needed to take her home and that she was mine. It was just yeah, she's.
Just a very special little girl.
Yeah. Yeah, oh that.
Is so special because you always, like people talk about egg donation as being something that is so you know, altruistic and so kind and special. But then there's you know, maybe that flip side of going, well, what if I meet this child and I feel like that's my child, like because quite literally genetically they've come from you. But oh, I love that. I love that for you and seeing
that come full circle. Does that mean that there will be another baby at some point that is related to you in that family?
I hope so, so they look at yourself. Obviously they have a surrogate and I haven't met her yet, that she's also another beautiful person. So hopefully looking at doing a transfer, the first transfer this month, so with their daughter that they have at the moment that she was the fourth transfers to the fourth embryo that took.
Wow, that is honestly so special. I want to ask, though, would you do that for other families or are you like, no, this was just one that's enough, Like or is this something that you'll continue to do? Like how does this stuff work? Because I can imagine that ivf's really taxing on your body.
Yeah, it's a really good question because I find it all fascinating too. And each state has their own different laws. So for me personally, for me, it was always going to be I had to have a connection with a couple, and for me, it's always been that I would donate to one couple, whereas I know that other women have donated to multiple couples. And I believe in Victoria the law as you can only donate eight to ten women, I believe. I think New South Wales might be five
donating five couples. And I think they're actually they include your own children in that. Oh well really, yeah, I'm not quite clear on that. Yeah, so that's my personal science. Other women might yeah, be more than happy to donate to multiple couples.
Yeah, how special, Oh my gosh, And I want to be really pervy. Is your brother going to have a baby at any point? Is that some route that he wants to go down?
Yeah? I know, I hope so. So he lives in London with his beautiful partner, and look, they both adore their nieces and nephews. Got a niece and nephew in England as well, And it might it might be I will have to ask him, because he'd be very upfront, he wouldn't mind me asking it all. But I mean, I just want him and his partner to get married. I want to You're like, I want to go with a wedding.
I want to have a party. I like your partner lock it down? How exciting? Oh my gosh. You are honestly such a special human being, in your work, in your life, in the things you do for others. I am so glad you are part of our community. How lucky are we?
I appreciate this, thank you.
Oh my gosh, but Jess, I do think that is sadly all we have time for today. So Jess, why don't you wrap the boring but important stuff? Of course, don't forget, guys, that the advice sheared on She's on the money is generally in nature and does not consider your individual circumstances. She's on the money exists purely for educational purposes and should not be relied upon to make
an investment or a financial decision. And we promise Victoria divine and She's on the money are authorized representatives of Infocused Securities Australia Proprietary Limited ABN four seven oh nine seven seven nine seven fort nine AFSL two three six five two three. We'll see you on Wednesday. Eyes sigh